The most popular diet trend from the year you were born

There have been a number of diet trends throughout the years. Paramount Pictures

Throughout the years, people have been inundated with books and infomercials about diets that lower your weight, increase your energy, get you pregnant, and a number of other promises that can not be guaranteed from food and food alone.

From elimination plans to juice cleanses, here are some of the most popular diets over the last 50-plus years.

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1963 — Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers is so popular that restaurants include point values on their menus.
Tim Boyle/Getty

According to its official website, Weight Watchers started as a small group of friends meeting at founder Jean Nidetch's home to discuss their weight loss struggles and successes. Today, the program boasts an impressive 1.1 million members, including celebrities like Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Hudson, and Oprah Winfrey.

The program uses a science-backed points system, which emphasizes fruits, veggies, and lean protein. Members track their foods and stay within a certain point range, which is assigned based off their needs and goals.

Though the program has made adjustments to keep up with the times, the concept has always remained the same. In fact, according to Fast Company, the program's flexibility and focus on lifestyle rather than weight has made it one of the most successful "diets" to date.

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1971 — The Grapefruit Diet

This citrus saw a rise in popularity in the '70s due to a diet that promised quick weight loss. According to Healthline, the premise of the Grapefruit Diet was to eat a grapefruit with every meal. The thought was that the grapefruit contained a special enzyme that burns fat fast.

Although the diet may lead to weight loss, it isn't because of the fruit.

"Grapefruit has no special properties when it comes to weight loss," Elisabetta Politi, nutrition manager of the Duke University's Diet and Fitness Center, tells Health. She adds that the reason people may lose weight on this diet is that they are consuming less calories.

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1975 - The Cookie Diet

Losing weight while eating cookies sounds like the dream.
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1977 — SlimFast

The meal-replacement program was wildly popular in the '90s, but was a weight-loss method long before then. The SlimFast premise is quite simple, according to its official site. Simply "replace any two meals with SlimFast shakes, bars or cookies, enjoy one sensible meal of your choice and three 100-calorie snacks in between."

Generally, participants are limited to 1,200 calories a day.

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1978 — The Scarsdale Diet

The Scarsdale Diet emphasized protein consumption and banned snacking, according to Healthline. Another rapid weight loss program, critics of the diet said it missed out on important macronutrients and was not sustainable in the long term.

"Because the Cabbage Soup Diet has such a low calorie intake and virtually no protein, almost all weight lost on this diet will be water and muscle, not body fat," personal trainer and fitness coach Scott Laidler tells the publication.

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1981 — The Beverly Hills Diet

The Beverly Hills diet was developed by Judy Mazel — a weight loss advocate who had no nutritional certification. According to the New York Times, the 42-day diet centered around eating fruits for the first 10 days, then adding items like bread and proteins like "steak and lobster."

Unsurprisingly, experts frowned upon this plan.

"This is the most dangerous diet I have ever come across," endocrinologist Mark Saginor told People in 1981. "Along with the fat loss you can break down a tremendous amount of lean body mass, and you can lose potassium, which is potentially devastating."

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1985 — Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig ambassador Valerie Bertinelli.
Michael Loccisano / Getty

Originally launching in Australia, Jenny Craig made its way to the US in 1985. According to the official website, participants receive a customized menu of pre-made meals and meet with a consultant who offers support and guidance.

1988 - The Liquid Diet

The Liquid Diet was made popular by Oprah Winfrey.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

The Liquid Diet, also known as Optifast, was made popular thanks Oprah Winfrey. In 1988, the former talk show host stepped on stage wearing a pair of size 10 jeans and pulling a wagon filled with 67 pounds of fat — a representation fo the weight she lost on Optifast.

When I started Optifast in July 1988, I was at 212 pounds. By fall, I weighed 145 pounds. Wearing my size 10 jeans, I pulled a wagon full of fat — representing the 67 pounds I'd dropped — onto the stage.

What I didn't know was that my metabolism was shot. Two weeks after I returned to real food, I was up 10 pounds. Since I wasn't exercising, there was nothing my body could do but regain the weight.

1994 — The Ornish Diet

Dr. Dean Ornish convinced people to try his diet by telling them they could, "eat whatever you want, whenever you want it, and however much of it you want." As the New York Times pointed out in 1994, however, the food on the Ornish diet must be low in fat and high in fiber. Specifically, less than 10% of calories consumed can come from fat.

1995 — The Zone Diet

Created by Dr. Barry Sears, the Zone Diet is meant to reduce inflammation which, in theory, should reduce the risk of developing chronic illnesses like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease.

The diet encourages people to eat in a 40-30-30 principal: 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

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1996 — The Blood Type Diet

According to VeryWell, the Blood Type Diet was developed by P eter D'Adamo, a naturopathic physician. D'Admo theorized that eating for your blood type would allow you to digest food with greater efficiency, lose weight, and enhance your overall health.

2003 — The Atkins Diet

One of many Atkins-based books.
Justin Sullivan / Staff

Although it was first conceptualized in the 1960s, the Atkins Diet didn't become mainstream until 2003 when, according to the official site, Dr. Robert C. Atkins published "Atkins for Life." The diet, as many know, was the a high-fat, low-carb eating plan. It involved phases where you slowly introduced carbs back into your life, though never exceeding 20 grams of carbohydrates a day.

2003 — The South Beach Diet

Cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston introduced the South Beach Diet — named after a poplar Miami spot — in 2003. According to the official site, the high-protein, low-carb diet began as a solution to "quick fix diets" that left people hungry: particularly, Atkins.

2006 — The Master Cleanse

Beyoncé followed and advocated for the Master Cleanse.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Master Cleanse, aka the Lemonade Diet, requires participants to drink a cocktail of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and water for every meal ... for 10 days straight. Although it was first developed by "nutrition guru" Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s, it saw a rise in popularity after Beyoncé went on the Master Cleanse to lose weight for "Dreamgirls."

And she did lose weight because, as experts were quick to point out, she was essentially not eating.

"Of course you're going to lose weight — you're starving yourself," nutritionist Joy Bauer told the New York Times in 2006. "People want a quick fix and they want to be thin so badly that they're vulnerable and open to almost anything."

2007 — The Raw Food Diet

Emerging onto the scene in 2007, the Raw Food Diet is exactly what it sounds like: eating only, or mostly, uncooked foods. According to NPR, raw foodists believe that food loses its nutrient content and "life force" when it's cooked over 112 degrees.

2009 — The Fertility Diet

The Fertility Diet was less about losing weight and more about getting pregnant.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

In 2009, Drs. Jorge Chavarro, Walter C. Willett, Patrick J. Skerrett released a book with one simple goal: help women get pregnant through their diet. The book, "The Fertility Diet," utilized research from the Nurses' Health Study to create 10 diet principals that would help women conceive. According to Harvard Health Publishing, some of those principals included eating more soy and avoiding fats.

2010 — The Baby Food Diet

Even babies don't like the stuff — so why would adults?
sixninepixels/Shutterstock

Baby food is conveniently portioned, making it the ideal snack for people watching their caloric intake. Or, at least, that's the thought behind the Baby Food Diet, a meal plan in which you replace real food with its pureed counterpart.

2012 — Juicing

Why eat your food when you can drink it? Although juice cleanses have been around for years, they saw a rise in popularity in 2012 thanks to the convenience of shops like Juice Press, Juice Generation, and the like.

Although some people took this as an opportunity to grab something green for an afternoon snack, others saw it as a chance to detox with a juice cleanse — a day- or week-long program where you swapped your meals for various juices.

As more people were diagnosed with Celiac's disease, more gluten-free products became available in grocery stores. And, because gluten is most commonly found in bread, pasta, and other carbohydrates — i.e. foods that have been deemed "bad" — people assumed going glute-free was a way to lose weight.

2015 — Whole 30

According to the official website, Whole 30 advocates "clean" eating: In other words, no added sugars, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, and additives. Although the program has been around since 2009, it didn't become widely popular until the release of "The Whole30" in 2015.

Although experts say the concept of eliminating or limiting foods that increase hunger and cravings is good, they say the time frame is flawed.

In an interview with TIME, Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital, said "30 days isn't enough time to turn off systemic inflammation." Additionally, Fasano said that the restrictions are very generic, and not everyone will benefit from them.

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2016 — The Goop Detox Diet

Gwyneth Paltrow, the founder of GOOP.
Jordan Strauss/AP

When Gwyneth Paltrow sees a trend, she capitalizes on it. Such is the case with the GOOP Cleanse which, according to the website, is meant to clean up the menu, re-set the palate, and give your guts a break.

Again, the concept of eating less processed foods is great. But a cleanse that consists of teas and smoothies, like the GOOP Cleanse, is not sustainable. One thing the GOOP Cleanse has going for it is that it incorporates proteins like salmon, chicken, and almond butter.

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